Garment bands



A. SCHEITLIN GARMENT BANDS Oct. 25, 1955 Filed April 20, 1953 FIG.2

FIGB 4 .M7/H.. www d FIG.5

United States Patent itice 2,721,331 Patented Oct. 25, 1955 GARMENT BANDS Alexander Scheitlin, Viganello, Switzerland, assignor to Harry Hardie, Baltimore, Md.

Application April 20, 1953, Serial No. 349,343

1 Claim. (Cl. 2-237) This invention relates to wearing apparel and, more particularly, to elastic bands of the type which are sewn onto a garment during manufacture and form an integral part of the garment.

Body openings of garments, such as torso or leg openings, are often provided with an elastic band or belt sewed to the edge of an opening for holding the garment in position on the wearer. The elastic band may extend either for only a portion of the opening, or completely about the opening and have its ends united to form an endless band surrounding the waist or limb of the wearer.

Such elastic bands are sometimes formed of a strip of thin elastic sheet rubber covered with a textile sheath, the rubber and sheath being united and held in place on the garment by parallel rows of stitching penetrating the rubber strip. The garment band of the present invention is of this general type; but, instead of the customary knit or woven inner sheath, an elastic inner sheath is provided.

The garment band of the present invention is adapted for garments formed either of woven or knit material. ln a preferred form, the garment material adjacent to an edge zone thereof is laid over the outer surface of the rubber strip so as to bring the pattern of the cloth t the very edge of the garment, the garment material either being folded back upon itself to form a hem at the mouth of the garment opening, or the garment material being folded closely over the edge of the rubber strip at the mouth of the opening and the edge zone of the garment material being brought against the inner face of the rubber strip. The inner side of the rubber strip (towards the body of the wearer) is covered by an elastic woven inner textile sheath, the edge of the inner sheath adjacent the mouth of the opening overlying either the adjacent edge of the rubber strip or the folded-over portion of the garment material, as the case may be, and the other edge of the inner sheath extending slightly beyond the edge of the rubber strip. furthest from the mouth of the garment opening. The term elastic woven inner sheath includes braid or tape woven of textile threads together with two or more longitudinal threads of elastic rubber, or other elastic tape having generally similar properties.

This band is assembled during manufacture of the garment, the rubber strip and the elastic inner sheath being stretched somewhat while the band is united by two or more parallel rows of stitching extending longitudinally of the band and penetrating the portion of the garment material overlying the rubber strip and also penetrating the rubber strip and the elastic inner sheath. When the band is released after sewing, the portion of the garment material overlying the rubber strip and forming the outer sheath is evenly shirred by the rows of stitching, while the elastic inner sheath contracts with the rubber strip and is not shirred appreciably.

Among the objects of the present invention are to provide a bandin which the inner sheath as well as the rubber strip contributes to the elasticity of theband asA a whole and in which the edge zones of the rubber strip are reinforced somewhat by the rubber strands of the inner sheath; to provide a band in which the inner sheath is stiffened somewhat without, however, interfering with its contraction; to provide a band of pleasing appearance that is easily sewn; and to generally improve bands of the type described.

Further objects and objects relating to details and economies of manufacture and use will more definitely appear from the detailed description to follow.

My invention is'clearly dened in the appended claims. Where parts are, for clarity and convenience, referred to on the basis of their oriented position shown in the accompanying drawing, no limitation as to positioning of the entire structure is to be implied, since it will be understood that the entire structure may be inverted or that it may be used in any inclined position. Also in both the description and the claim, parts at times may be identified by specific names for clarity and convenience, but such nomenclature is to be understood as having the broadest meaning consistent with the context and with the concept of my invention as distinguished from the pertinent prior art. Thus, garment is to be understood as including articles worn on the body, such articles embracing the body or parts thereof, which may not have as their primary purpose the covering of the body. The best form in which I have contemplated applying my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, in which:

Fig. l is a somewhat diagrammatic side elevation of a portion of a garment incorporating a band according to the rst form of the invention, portions of the band being broken away to show details of construction.

Fig. 2 is a cross section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. l of a garment having a band according to a second form of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a cross section taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. l of a garment having a band according to a third form of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a cross section taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to Figs. l and 2, the elastic band 1t) of the present invention is particularly Well adapted for use as an elastic waistband for womens pajamas and panties, in which instance it is applied to the upper edge of garment material 11, which may be either woven or knit. It is very well suited for use as an endless elastic band formed by permanently joining the ends of the band; but, if desired, it may extend for only a portion of the distance around the waistband, the balance of the band being made up of a relatively nonstretchable textile waistband.

The elastic band 10 of the rst form of the invention is formed of the garment material 11, a strip of thin, elastic sheet rubber 12, and an elastic, inner textile sheath 14, which are assembled and united by stitching, as will be described.

The rubber strip 12 is a thin strip of elastic sheet rubber, including rubberlike material, which in the present band may have a width when unstretched on the order of one-half inch if a relatively `narrow band is,

desired, and a somewhat greater width, often up to an inch or an inch and a half, if a wider band is` desired. The rubber strip 12 is of suitable thickness to provide` at least most of the desired tension of the band when in position on the wearer, which tension is determined in part by the weight of the garment to be supported.A

The rubber strip 12 is laid along the inner face of the garment material 11 and adjacent to an edge zone thereof with the garment material covering the outside face of the rubber strip. The edge 15 of the garment material may be folded back upon itself to form a hem adjacent the mouth of the garment opening, as indicated in Figs. l and 2, and this may be done by folders as the band is assembled and sewn onto the garment, as will be explained.

The elastic inner textile sheath 14 is formed of an elastic band, this band usually being formed as a woven textile tape having incorporated therein preferably at least two longitudinally extending threads 1'7 of elastic rubber, including rubberlike material. The number of these threads may be varied, but the threads 17 should be symmetrically arranged with respect to the longitudinal center line of the tape and preferably one such thread should be located along each lateral edge of the tape. Preferably, the elastic band 1G is constructed with the rubber threads 17 completely covered by a continuous spiral wrapping of textile threads as is usual practice. Since the principal elasticity of the band 16 is provided by the rubber strip 12, the rubber threads 17 incorporated in the inner sheath 14 may be much smaller in diameter and fewer in number than would otherwise be required if the band depended solely on the inner sheath 14 for its elasticity. Inasmuch as the inner sheath 14 preferably is stretched about the same amount as the rubber strip 12 during sewing, there is little or no shirring of the inner sheath when the garment is in position on the wearer or even when the band 10 is entirely unstretched, the surface of the inner sheath always remaining substantially smooth and forming a comfortable, body-engaging surface of the band.

The edge of the rubber strip 12 and of the inner sheath 14 adjacent the mouth of the opening preferably ter* minates at least slightly short of the fold of the garment material so as to be invisible when the garment is in position on the wearer, and the other edge of inner sheath projects slightly beyond the edge of the rubber strip 12 furthest from the mouth of the opening, so as to completely cover and conceal this strip. The inner sheath 14 is relatively stiff and its edges are further stiffened by the rubber threads 17, so that there is little or no tendency for the band to curl or for the edges of the inner sheath to be wavy when unstretched.

The rubber strip 12 and the elastic inner sheath 14 are held in assembled relation on the garment material 11 by at least two rows 16 of parallel stitching running lengthwise of the band. One row 16 of stitching penetrates the garment material 11, the edge 15 of garment material folded over to form the hem, the edge portion of the rubber strip 12 adjacent the mouth of the opening, and the edge portion of the inner sheath 14 adjacent the mouth of the opening. Another row of stitching 16 penetrates the garment material 11 and the edge zones of the rubber strip 12 and inner sheath 14 remote from the mouth of the garment opening. For wider bands, one or more intermediate rows 16 of stitching may be used, all of the stitching being located so as not to coincide with the rubber threads of the inner sheath in order to avoid nicking or cutting the rubber threads of the inner sheath by the sewing needle. The intermediate rows of stitching, if any, penetrate the garment material 11, the rubber strip 12, and the inner sheath 14.

The band 10 is assembled on the garment material 11 at the sewing point and then sewn while the rubber strip 12 and the elastic inner sheath 14 are in stretched condition. The rubber strip 12 and inner sheath 14 are fed to the garment in strip form through suitable guides, the rubber strip and inner sheath preferably each being stretched about 50% and the outer woven sheath of the garment material not being substantially stretched during sewing.

After assembly at the sewing point, the band is sewn by a multiple needle machine so as to insert all the rows of stitching simultaneously and to provide stitches which coincide (the needle penetrations of the band being opposite one another), thus producing a uniform shirring of the garment material 11 covering the outer face of the rubber strip 12 when the band is in unstretched condition. Preferably, a straight stitch is used having a length when the band is stretched of about ten stitches to the inch.

By sewing the band 10 when the rubber strip 12 is in stretched condition, it is not necessary to use elastic or zigzag stitches and the band may subsequently be stretched to the amount it was stretched when sewn without unduly stretching the stitches. Further, the garment material 11, which is sewn when in at, unshirred condition, limits the stretch of the band, particularly when the garment material, if woven, is square cut rather than bias cut.

The band according to the second form of the invention (shown in Figs. 3 and 4) may be generally similar to the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2 except that in this instance the edge 15' of the garment material is folded over the edge of the rubber strip adjacent the mouth of the garment opening, the inner sheath 14 covering a portion of the folded-over edge 15 of garment material and the portion of the rubber strip not covered by the edge 15. In this form of the invention, the edge of the rubber strip 12 adjacent the mouth of the garment opening is completely hidden and the rubber strip additionally stiifens the fold of garment material, preventing it from folding outwardly about the adjacent row of stitching and aiding in smoothly shirring the garment material. The band of this second form of the invention is sewn in the same manner as that of the irst form above described, the only difference being in the arrangement of the folders and the feeding of the rubber strip 12 so as to fold the edge 15 of the garment material about the adjacent edge of the rubber strip, rather than merely back upon itself to form a hem as in the rst form of the invention.

In the band according to the third form of the invention (Figs. 5 and 6), the rubber strip 12 and the elastic inner textile sheath 14 may be identical with these parts of the forms of the band previously described. However, in this form of the invention, the outer face of the rubber strip 12 is covered by an outer sheath 19 which serves as a continuation of the garment material 20 so as to offer a contrasting color, pattern, or texture of material. Preferably, the edges 21, 21 of the outer sheath are folded about the edges of the rubber strip 12, as indicated in Fig. 6, and the edge of garment material 20 is introduced into the band between the lower edge 21 of the outer sheath and the elastic inner sheath 14.

The various parts of this form of band are also held together by at least two rows of stitching 16 which preferably are similar to stitching 16 previously described and serve a similar purpose. In this form of the present invention, the outer sheath 19 serves to extend the garment material to cover the outer face of the rubber strip 12; and, therefore, the outer sheath 19 may be considered as a portion of the garment material itself.

In all three of the bands of the present invention, the inner sheath is much stiifer than the inner sheath previously used, such as that shown in Hardie Patent 2,617,113, and yet, due to the fact that the inner sheath is formed of elastic tape or braid, the braid will contract with the rubber strip 12 without being shirred substantially. Particularly of the rubber threads are located along the lateral edges of the inner sheath 14, the edges are considerably stiifened, and waviness and extreme ilexibility of the edges of the inner sheath are lessened, the inner sheath aiding in maintaining the garment band flat.

` The bands of the present invention embody the longlasting elastic properties of the rubber strip 12 together with the advantages of stilness and ease of sewing over certain of the waistbands employing solely an elastic band or tape, the bands of the present invention being capable of laundering over a much greater period of time than bands incorporating conventional thread rubber elastic. In addition, the rubber strands incorporated in the inner sheath 14 and adjacent the edges of the rubber strip 12 give a slightly greater tensile strength along the edges of the rubber strip so as to aid in maintaining the strip flat and so as to aid in maintaining the strip against transverse curling when in position on the wearer.

I claim:

An elastic band extending along the margin of an opening in a textile garment to contract the margin of the opening about the wearer, said band comprising: a strip of thin elastic sheet rubber extending along the edge zone of garment material adjacent the opening; an elastic textile sheath overlying one face of the rubber strip, both faces of the rubber strip being covered; and

at least two parallel rows of stitching extending longitudinally of the band and being sewn with both the rubber strip and said sheath in longitudinally stretched condition, said sheath having incorporated therein at least one longitudinal strand of thread rubber adjacent each edge thereof and at least one intervening longitudinal strand of thread rubber, the longitudinally extending rows of stitching being spaced from the thread rubber strands, and the sheet rubber strip providing the principal elasticity of the band.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,060,467 Krein Nov. 10, 1936 2,149,128 Thorner et al. Feb. 28, 1939 2,617,113 Hardie Nov. 11, 1952 2,619,648 Hardie Dec. 2, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 454,153 Great Britain Sept. 21, 1936 

